Workgroup Information

Joint Project between Bread for the World, Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany (EMW), Faculdades EST São Leopoldo and Francke Foundations and Halle University in cooperation with national and international ecumenical partners.

Churches of the Reformation traditions in Europe and at global level are journeying towards the 500th centenary of the Reformation in 2017. German Protestant churches have planned a journey towards 2017 within the "Reformation Decade" 2007-2017 in which each year has a special theme. For 2016 the theme is "Reformation and the One World", and preparations are now underway to mark this year involving several national and international actors.

The Leadership of Bread for the World (Berlin) and of the Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany (EMW, Hamburg) have jointly agreed to mark the Reformation Decade and the thematic year "Reformation and One World" with a major international Twin Consultation Project under the title "Reformation, Education, Transformation" reflecting on the contribution of Reformation traditions and theology in several ecumenical contexts towards strengthening civil society and its transformation towards justice, peace, sustainability and human rights – locally and globally. A special focus will be laid on the transformative role of education.

Bread for the World and EMW are organizing the Twin Consultation project together with important academic and diaconical institutions which represent the venue and context of the two consultations planned, name-ly Faculdades EST, São Leopoldo in Brazil (for November 2015) and Francke Foundations, Halle in cooperation with Martin Luther University Halle–Wittenberg, Faculty of Theology (for May 2016).

The Twin Consultation Project understands itself so far as a contribution

a) To highlight the engagement of all the partners involved in the Twin consultation in the fields of transformative education and participation in civil society as a vital expression of the spirit of the Reformation traditions,

b) To deepen international dialogue on the umbrella theme "Reformation and One World" among EKD members churches and to include insights from contexts beyond Europe;

c) To accompany the WCC program of an international ecumenical "Pil-grimage of Justice and Peace" and the ongoing work of the Ecumenical Formation Unit in WCC/Bossey in carrying out impulses from Busan as-sembly.

d) To link to LWF and WCRC projects of understanding Reformation in global perspectives and to unfold the core relevance of Reformation tradition in ecumenical perspectives

Aims

This research online workgroup is designed to facilitate exchange for the participants during and after the international twin-consultation process.

- Share resources and input from the two twin consultation processes

- Provide a platform for dialogue on Refomation education and tranfirmation beyond the conference

- Enable dialogue and sharing on strategic follow up on these issues with ecumenical partners, educational institutions and churches which are interested in Reformation, Education, Transformation

Timeframe

The period of work is designed to last from October 2015 until end 2017.

The research working group will also be related to the official website of the project: http://www.r-e-t.net/

Participants
open to all upon demand; workgroup techn. assistance Dr Ignace Haaz